sociology

Introduction

Durkheim, as one of the first group in developing social concepts and sociology, has phrased ‘social fact as a thing’ as a new theory at that period, which also determined and paved the way for his other sociological theories such as anomie and suicide (Durkheim, 1982). Durkheim generalized that every behavioral pattern whether it is fixed or not, so long as can restrain people from external, as the term of social fact. In other words, social fact is like a table putting in the middle of one corridor which ward if someone wants to go opposite side of some customs and habits or moral values. In addition, Durkheim analyzed anomie is one of the most important issue in his theory, which is one chaotic expression of social fact, it has no such unabridged rules to the social norm (Durkheim, 1984). Durkheim linked anomie to social facts and suicides in his theory, which is logical and causal and can still suit in explaining the phenomenon of current society. The data of suicide rates has been analyzed by Durkheim to evaluate suicide reasons and its group information, include their backgrounds, religions, genders and educations (Durkheim, 1951). Widely speaking, Durkheim believed that, social fact is a circumstance which made by groups not only individuals, then, because of some half-baked system or some problems there arise some social anomie. Because of some social anomie such as cyber bullying, some people cannot pass through it then there arise the phenomenon of suicide behavior (Pescosolido & Georgianna, 1989). Durkheim’s theories are used to method about cyber world and cyber bullying and not only theories and problems have been analyzed by Durkheim, but also some solutions have been analyzed to help and regulate the situations.

Body

Firstly, in Durkheim’s theory, he suggested that social fact is the every phenomenon made by groups or whole society. Every individual action such as eat, sleep or drink cannot be measured as a social fact (Jones, 2001). He insists that social facts are ‘non-organic’, and consist in ‘representations and actions’, it is a thing distinct from its individual manifestations (Durkheim, 1982). It is obviously that, as the rapid development of science and technology, nowadays people are living under a global cyber world. The cyber world was created by whole humanity, in order to promote communications between people and people through different media groups. Cyber world was created in good reasons, which not only propel the science and technology, but also accommodate human’s living. The most important is that cyber world creates a fictitious world for people (Kowalski, Limber & Agatston, 2012). By using Durkheim’s theory of social fact, the appearance of cyber world can be analyzed as one social fact in current society. For example, teenagers are born to know about cyber world, it just like an inherent phenomenon in the world. Teenagers are “composed” to know and accept this social fact since they born. The term “compose” does not mean some power what forcing teenagers to know and accept the cyber world, but because of the big environment of this social fact, teenagers do not have ways to avoid this social fact, and in fact, they do not need to avoid it (Kowalski, Limber & Agatston, 2012). This social fact is so strong that may influence every different kind of groups and individuals. This social fact, cyber world, existing out of each individual, but has the ability to influence each individual. In other worlds, individuals cannot change this social fact, but may be influenced and changed (Durkheim, 1982). Durkheim brought the theory of social fact in order to understand every phenomenon which created by whole society and influence every individual just like cyber world. In addition, Durkheim has analyzed two patterns of social facts. First one is material social facts which include social facts happened in society, or are structural components of society for example churches, states and organization groups, or are the morphological components of society like channels of communication. The second one is called nonmaterial social facts, which are identified in four types, morality, collective conscience, collective representations and social currents (Durkheim, 1982). According to Durkheim’s analysis of two patterns of social facts, it is obviously that, cyber world is determined as material social facts, which is a channel of communication in current society. It provides human-beings the infinite spaces to create different kinds of communication. It is also analyzed as one new social fact. However, due to the nonstandard and irregular order of cyber world, there arises the problem of cyber bullying.

One of the most important theories by Durkheim is the term of anomie, which is the chaos and errors in the society. Namely, anomie is the error and chaos under one social fact. “Anomie is the situation in which these normative boundaries are thrown awry,” said by Durkheim: “when society is disturbed by some painful crisis or by beneficent but abrupt transitions, it is momentarily incapable of exercising this (regulating) influence” (Marks, 1974). Durkheim suggested that anomie is reasonable and unavoidable in every social fact. It embodies the imperfection of this social fact. It has been emphasized by Durkheim that the progress of society is the every process of discovering anomies and adjusting it. For example, crime, as a kind of anomie, which was analyzed by Durkheim, is a normal social fact, not a sick social fact (Marks, 1974). Moreover, when the theory of anomie meets the example of cyber bullying in the cyber world, it can be determined as a sociological phenomenon. As analyzed above, cyber world is the social fact in current society. Therefore, cyber bullying can be determined as one of the anomies under this social fact. This anomie is created because of the lack of laws and rules in the cyber world. Teenagers and students have become the most serious sufferers in this anomie. Data shows that over 40 percent of the children were bullied in cyber world and half of the children admitted that they have created some cyber bullying before (Hogstrom, 2010). Cyber bullying mainly reflected in abusing, quarreling, diffusing rumors and unhealthy information in anonymous approach (Kowalski, Limber & Agatston, 2012). Those patterns are identified as the concrete expressions of cyber bullying this social anomie by using Durkheim’s theory. It is important because society needs to be improving, and the anomie shows the problems. After solute anomies, society improves (Jones, 2001). For example, cyber bullying causes more and more problems even more crimes, this anomie points out the shortages of laws and rules cyber world. All the government and people need to do, is to create laws and rules in this filed or build educations about cyber world, in order to protect teenagers and children from this anomie. It is very possible for them to get into more cragged road such as suicide (Kowalski, Limber & Agatston, 2012).

Deeply speaking, Durkheim’s theory on anomie, has analyzed out that, the desire of humans is endless, they gain for the stimulate demand not only basic living needs. People want to get more when they gain. Thus, the society has to use strategies such as social norms, consensuses and moral consciousness to offer some pressures on human’s infinite desires (Meštrović, 1987). In a regular moving society, social supervision keeps in good condition and the members of society can adapt and adjust themselves into this society by controlling their desires. However, in the period of social changing which due to the reasons may be economy growing or declining, along with the appearance of diversity of social division of labor, the weaken social supervision and the breakdown of public policy, social members seem like sunk into an isolate position which can never feel about the constraints by social rules and standards (Marks, 1974). Egoism has been strengthened, the society has sunk into a place which cannot lead its members to understand their needs and use the correct ways to satisfy their demands then, transgresses and crimes increase constantly. In short, anomie is when the rapid changing of society, crime appears because social members cannot satisfied with their more and more desires by lacking of social regulation and social norms (Durkheim, 1984). It has been emphasized that anomie is an external phenomenon which is not an individual manipulate, it is because of the deficiencies of social rules in the society. In addition, Durkheim concentrated in the harmony and consistency between individuals and societies in ‘the division of labor in society’ (Durkheim, 1984). Scilicet, cyber bullying can be analyzed that which is all because of the irregular social norms and standards in cyber world. Cyber citizen get their more and more desires in cyber world what cannot get satisfied in real world, such as abusing and insulting others by hiding their names to escape the responds and legal liabilities. Cyber world built them a special place to do what they cannot do in the real world due to the laws and rules.

It has been analyzed that anomie is one of the reasons lead suicide (Durkheim, 1951). Durkheim classified suicide in four types which are egoistic suicide, altruistic suicide, anomic suicide and fatalistic suicide in his research of suicide:

Anomy, therefore, is a regular and specific factor in suicide in our modern societies; one of the springs from which the annual contingent feed. So we have here a new type to distinguish from the others. It differs from them in its dependence, not on the way in which individuals are attached to society, but on how it regulates them. Egoistic suicide results from man’s no longer finding a basis for existence in life; altruistic suicide, because this basis for existence appears to man situated beyond life itself. The third sort of suicide, the existence of which has just been shown, results from man’s activity’s lacking regulation and his consequent sufferings. By virtue of its origin we shall assign this last variety the name of anomie suicide (Durkheim, 1951, p.258).

Concentrating on anomic suicide, it has been analyzed that this suicide is due to certain breakdown of social equilibrium, people suicide because of their society changes suddenly and they cannot get through it (Durkheim, 1951). For example, people suicide because they get bankrupt. There is much news about suicide because of cyber bullying. It has been confirmed that Megan Meier who was a 13 years old child, suicide in October 2006 after receiving cruel messages on Myspace (Hogstrom, 2010). Analyzing Megan’s case by using Durkheim’s theory on suicide, cyber world creates a new society for Megan as her new social fact. She got cyber bullying which equals the anomie of cyber world due to the irregular social norms and non-normative rules on cyber world. After that she could not handle and get through this anomie, so she chose to suicide. It has been suggested by Durkheim that, anomic suicide does not due to an individual problem. It is the anomies occur in the society, makes suicide (Durkheim, 1951). In other words, the fact Megan chose to suicide was not her individual problem. It is the chaos and anomie which hurt her deeply in cyber world made her suicide. In addition, Durkheim was concentrating on suicide rates. He recorded tables about different suicide backgrounds such as religions, gender, nationalities, education levels, economics and classes. The core content of suicide is linking with social facts and anomie. Durkheim used the data to support that suicide is linking with social facts not individuals by showing the figures about the number of suicide is not equal number of psychopaths, which means, if suicide links with individual, then all psychopaths will suicide but the fact is not like that (Durkheim, 1951).

According to Durkheim’s theories on social fact, anomie and suicide, not only problems have been set up, but also the solutions have been brought out. Setting rules and creating laws are one of the most important strategies to solute anomie and suicide in Durkheim’s research (Jones, 2001). By setting rules and creating laws, society gets regular, social members are under a society which provides legal controls in order to promote and protect them. Rules and laws keep the protective screen from anomie (Durkheim, 1982). Second is education. Durkheim mentioned the importance of education in his theories and as himself he was an educator on sociology, to spread the information, knowledge and his theories about the correct understanding on social facts, in order to fix the unhealthy phenomenon and establish the right social outlook (Selvin, 1958). Or, to prevent suicide, parents and schools have abilities to educate children the correct responding to anomie (Kowalski, Limber & Agatston, 2012).

On the contrary, it has always been some different opinions in social fact, anomie and suicide. For example, it can be argued that suicide is determined by mental problems of individuals (Pearce, 2006). Megan suicide because she got cruel messages on Myspace, Durkheim analyzed that it is the social problem made Megan suicide. However, some hold the points of view about that, if Megan was powerful or strong enough mentally, she could use the other way to change this anomie, she could walk away and do not pay attention on that cruel messages. It is herself who was not strong enough to get the anomie through to suicide. Durkheim had a limit understanding about suicide. He only focused on the social facts but omitted the same important reason of suicide – individuals.

Conclusion

To sum up, Durkheim’s theories on social fact, anomie and suicide can be analyzed as causality. Social fact is a thing, which in the society made by groups but reflects on every individual. Anomie is the non-rules chaos in a social fact and it happened because of the lack of the social regulation. Suicide happened because of the anomie in society. No individual can create suicide problem. The anomie which was the problem of the society, it reflects on people who got hurt, thus suicide happened. Government controlling by setting rules and creating laws, and provide deeper education on sociology to solute anomie and suicide. Even though nowadays there are still some voices which argued the imperfect part in theories of Durkheim about he did not consider much on individuals Durkheim as one of the great developer of sociology, his theories have still been maintained as most celebrated theories in the world.

Reference

Durkheim,E. (1951) ‘Suicide, a Study in Sociology’ in G, Simpson (ed.), Suicide, a Study in Sociology, New York, The Free Press.

Durkheim,E. (1982) ‘The Rules of Sociological Method’ in S. Lukes (ed.), Rules of Sociological Method, New York, The Free Press.

Durkheim,E. (1984) ‘The Division of Labor in Society’ in L. Coser (ed.), The Division of Labor in Society, New York, The Free Press.

Hogstrom,E. (2010) ‘Cyber Bullying’, Telegraph-Herald, 11 July.

Jones,S. (2001) Durkheim Reconsidered, The UK, Polity Press.

Kowalski,R., Limber,S. & Agatston,P. (2012) Cyberbullying: Bullying in the Digital Age, The UK, Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Marks,S. (1974) ‘Durkheim’s Theory of Anomie’, American Journal of Sociology, 80(2), pp. 329-363.

Meštrović,S. (1987) ‘Durkheim’s Concept of Anomie Considered as a ‘Total’ Social Fact’, The British Journal of Sociology, 38(4), pp. 567-583.

Pearce,F. (2006) ‘A Reworking of Durkheim’s Suicide’, Economy and Society, 16(4), pp. 526-567

Pescosolido,B. & Georgianna,S. (1989) ‘Durkheim, Suicide, and Religion: Toward a Network Theory of Suicide’, American Sociological Review, 54(1), pp. 33-48.

Selvin,H. (1958) ‘Durkheim’s Suicide and Problems of Empirical Research’, American Journal of Sociology, 63(6), pp. 607-619.